Articles / papers, published

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Silences of God, The: A Meditation, by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 24:3-4 (2014). While the Word of God dominated the history of religion, contemporaries question the orthodoxy of language. God's Silence is also essential in shaping our individual choices and collective histories, and understanding Baha'u'llah's words. [about]

Social Basis of the Bábí Upheavals in Iran (1848-1953): A Preliminary Analysis, by Moojan Momen, in International Journal of Middle East Studies, 15 (1983). In the mid-19th century, Iran was shaken by unrest caused by the Babi movement, which set off a chain of events that led on the one hand, to the constitutional movement in Iran, and on the other, to the establishment of the now world-wide Baha'i Faith. [about]

"Some Answered Questions" and Its Compiler, by Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani, in Lights of Irfan, 18 (2017). Overview of the life of Laura Clifford Barney and her role in assembling and publishing the book Some Answered Questions, and its comparison with the appendix to the Kitab-i-Aqdas called Questions & Answers. [about]

Soul in Chinese and Bahá'í Belief, The, by Phyllis Ghim-Lian Chew, in Singapore Bahá'í Studies Review, vol. 3 (1998). On Chinese religions and the Baha'i Faith; their beliefs in the presence of a soul and an afterlife; the nature of the soul and the human being; the human quest for happiness and meaning in life; free will and its relation to justice.
[about]

Spiritual Footprints in the Sands of Time, by Kevin Brogan, in Solas, 3 (2003). The covenantal relationship between God and humankind; the lives of the founders of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism; the societies in which these religions developed; and some of their common features. [about]

Spiritual Foundations of Science, The, by Anjam Khursheed, in Singapore Bahá'í Studies Review, vol. 1 (1996). In contrast to modern western accounts of science, which reduce it to methods of logic and experiment, the Baha'i reference point is the spiritual nature of man. The experience of some outstanding scientists of the past supports the Baha'i view.
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Spiritual Nature of Reality, The: Has the Future Already Been Written?, by John S. Hatcher, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 10:3-4 (2000). Meditations on "Who is Writing the Future": why is spiritual development a social as well as personal matter; what is epistemological methodology for this development; how is it distinct from materialism; and how does it relate to the Covenants? [about]

Star Wars or World Peace, by Dan Q. Posin, in dialogue magazine, 1:1 (1986). How a "missile defense system" might work and ways in which it would not, ramifications for achieving global peace, and discussion by Robert Bowman, the first director of the Star Wars program. No mention of the Baha'i Faith. [about]

Station of the Kitab-i-Iqan, The, by Khazeh Fananapazir and Seena Fazel, in Bahá'í Studies Review, 3:1 (1993). Review of the rank and station of the Iqan according to the primary Bahá'í literature. [about]

Still Lives, by Denis MacEoin, in New Jerusalems: Reflections on Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Rushdie Affair (1993). The nature of private lives and biography in Middle Eastern culture, with brief discussion of Rushdie's Satanic Verses and the lives of Tahirih and Shoghi Effendi. [about]

Structure of Existence in the Bab's Tafsir and the Perfect Man Motif, The, by Todd Lawson, in Studia Iranica: Cahiers 11: Recurrent Patterns in Iranian Religions from Mazdaism to Sufism (1992). The Perfect Man is the mediator between God and the World. He is the mirror in which creation sees God, the eye by which God sees creation. The Bab phrased his cosmology and his Quranic exegesis in light of wahdat al-wujud, the Unity of Being. [about]

Study of the Pen Motif in the Bahá'í Writings, A, by Kavian Sadeghzade Milani and Nafeh Fananapazir, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 9:1 (1999). Theology and background of the "pen" metaphor — the creative force presented by the Manifestation of God — and the "tablet" — the recipient of the creative force. Also the five realms of existence: Háhút, Láhút, Jabarút, Malakút, and Násút. [about]

Terms Remembrance (dhikr) and Gate (bab) in the Bab's Commentary on the Sura of Joseph, The, by Todd Lawson, in Studies in Honor of the Late Husayn M. Balyuzi, Studies in the Bábí and Bahá'í Religions, vol. 5, ed. Moojan Momen (1989). Who is the "voice" of the Qayyum al-Asma: the person Ali-Muhammad Shirazi, the hidden Imam through The Báb, the Báb as the Imam himself, or God? The Bab seems to be the Imam speaking the voice of God. He is Dhikru'lláh, "Remembrance of God." [about]

The Bahá'í Revelation, by Arthur Pillsbury Dodge, in The Open Court (1905). Article, with photographs, correcting and expanding on some of Open Court's previous articles on the Faith. Introduced by Paul Carus with a brief essay, "The Behaist Movement." [about]

Theology of the State from the Bahá'í Teachings, A, by Sen McGlinn, in Journal of Church & State (1999). Western religions exhibit three types of divine societies: eschatological (the Kingdom of God on Earth); metaphysical (angels or the Hidden Imam interact with the world); and ecclesiological (the church as the body of Christ, or the Islamic community). [about]

Thomas Kelly Cheyne, by Crawford Howell Toy, in Harvard Theological Review, 9:1 (1916). Overview of the works and diverse intellectual interests of Cheyne, who championed the Faith as an independent Biblical scholar before joining it in 1914. [about]

Toward a New Paradigm of Management, by George Starcher (1991). The fundamental changes taking place in management and organization in reaction to globalization and changing technology, and the new knowledge and information based economy. [about]

Towards a Spiritual Methodology of Scholarship, by Chris Jones Kavelin, in Australian Baha'i Studies, Volume 4 (2003). Attempt to offer youth a vision of their sacred duty to pursue scholarship and a confidence in their unique spiritual genius to enable a world civilization to become conscious of its own Divine origin, spiritual nature, sacred purpose and glorious destiny [about]

Um Estado Laico numa Sociedade Confessional, by Marco Oliveira, in Jornal Público (2005). "A Lay State in a Religious Society": opinion article by a Portuguese Baha’i about the presence of Christian symbols in the classrooms of Portuguese public schools. [about]

Understanding the Human Condition: Secular and Spiritual Perspectives, by Suresh Sahadevan, in Singapore Bahá'í Studies Review, vol. 6 (2001). Both materialist and religious paradigms are important for happiness and for informing our decisions about how to live fruitful lives. Religion must work for the betterment of the world by applying spiritual concepts to solve contemporary problems.
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Unveiling the Huri of Love, by John S. Hatcher, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 15:1-4 (2005). Three versions of this paper: Powerpoint presentation, audio file, and published article. [about]

Use of Trees as Symbols in the World Religions, The, by Sally Liya, in Solas, 4 (2004). The tree is a universal symbol found in the myths of all peoples. This Jungian archetype figures in dreams; symbolizes growth, unfolding, shelter, and nurture; is regarded as the gatekeeper to the next world; and is a metaphor in Baha'i scripture.
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Valleys, Mountains, and Teacher Preparation, by Barbara K. V. Johnson, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 25:4 (2015). The metaphor of the soul's journey through the Four Valleys illustrates the practical work of building a team of college and school-based practitioners in the Rocky Mountains to design a new program to prepare teachers for service in the public schools. [about]

Visits of the Hands of the Cause of God to Ireland, by Betsy Omidvaran, in Solas, 3 (2003). An overview of all known visits by the Hands, the highest-ranking officers of the Bahá’í Faith, to Ireland. Review of the many historical sources about this largely-uninvestigated topic. Includes timeline of the visits between 1952 and 1986. [about]

What is Behaism, by James T. Bixby, in North American Review, 196:679 (1912). An outsider's early overview of Baha'i history and teachings. Includes discussion of Baha'i re-interpretations of prophecy [about]

Women and Wisdom in Scripture, by Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani, in Lights of Irfan, 16 (2015). Treatment of women in religion; influence of Baha'i teachings in raising awareness about the plight of women and transforming attitudes across the globe; role of linguistic biases in degrading their status; role of wisdom in achieving gender equality. [about]

Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, The, by Amin Banani, in World Order (1971). The style and genres of Abdu'l-Baha's writings, a chronology of their thematic and linguistic change, and a categorization of the various types of his writings and talks. [about]

Writings of Baha'u'llah, The, by Abdu'l-Hamid Ishraq-Khavari, in Bahá'í World, Vol. 14 (1963-1968) (1974). Part of a commentary by the renowned scholar `Abdu'l-Hamid-i-Ishraq Khavari, adapted by Habib Tahirzadih, summarizing many of the early and often untranslated Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh. [about]

Young Turks and the Bahá'ís in Palestine, The, by Necati Alkan, in Late Ottoman Palestine: The Period of Young Turk Rule, ed. Eyal Ginio and Yuval Ben Bassat (2011). Reform movements in turn-of-the-century Palestine and the influence of Abdu'l-Baha on his political milieu. [about]